Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-07
FETICHES IN MEDICINE.
One Of the Doctors Demands a New
Gospel Of Healing.

One Of the Doctors Demands q Now
Gospel Of Healing.
OLD sUPERsTITIoNs PEACEFULLY REprRAPKp STILL
BELIEVED N-THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE PAST AND
MODERN JUGGLERY-THR FIELD OF THE FUTURE
MEDIco-AANIAcs AND THE DELUsIvE NAKEsH1FTs
OF MEDICINE.
A paper read by Dr. Samuel 8. Wallian. OF New
YORK. In the section OF therapeutics OF the Inter-
national Medical Congress attracted considerable
attention. DR.. Walian's subject was "The neglect
OF non-medicinal therapeutics"
'That rapidly advancing art" said DR.. Wallian,
(which has not yet reached that stage OF exact
ness emitting 1t to be called medical science still
fingers on the verge Of its NEUROLOGICAL age. Two
centuries ago astrology was held in almost rever-
entail awe as an occult science, and its high
priests were believed to be in league with
either Deity or the devil. Not a century ago
alchemy counted its eager and untir1ng devotees.
The fever1sh search for the tabled fountain OF
youth has never been quite given over, and un-
canny ionaucs stu delve In confused chaos OF
curious pulleys and cogged-wheels OF axles pivots
ana eccentrtcs for that FOOLS Madness the perpet-
ual motion. Ponce de Leon was, OF course, the
victim Of baseless hallucination, but he has
never lacked for followers or iIniIators
$50, doubtless in our guild, there win always be
those who stand for the remnants OF former In
ogy-and who win perhaps die cheTishinE vague
or denned 0e1ef In the crystal1zed and fossilized
Supefstlon6 VI past ages; In astral signs or their
modern counterparts; In stone charms, lucky num-
DerS, premOnitl0ns ana bartered abSOluttOn These
tenact0usly cling to the chimer1cal faith that in
time, the genius OF man will discover or cOnc0ct
special balm and antidote for every human ILL., and
this Abiding faith Is held to be the true touchSt0ne
70 the meolcaI mi1enium. That such Denuus OF
medic0-manlacS Is not yet extinct Is evidenced by
the fact that not few still cling to faiths and
practices which for quarter OF q century or more
nave existed only In state Of mummincation or
where, and in all the schools, ear-marks OF the
past stages and OF dead faiths constantly crop out
This professor has his fetch; that eminent prac-
TONER kneels before the crucinx erected by his
sect, and each OF these intellectual myOpics, I'M
conscious OF his own defOTmity Of intellectual
vision, Is meaSurably content to
Rob the Door pf few last gssps, % he ats
10 Restie ms POISONED poison behind the crimson
$50. do we not ai yet ins1inctively cling to some
make-shift OF iuck-cham7 The mystic brother
nO0o All the secret societies have their talismanic
ShiDO0ieths ana symbols: their jewelled squares
ana 9o!oen tf1angleS, their cOmpaSseS and levels
chaln-unks ana cabalisttc tokens One wears q
AOIse-snOe and hangs this silent tnv0-
cation 70 the blind goddess over hts deak, and over
the portals OF his d0mictle chromos Of
eARLAND.D HoRs.-sHon
bedeck alike the gorgeous pariors Of the RICH and
unkempt ana barren garTets OF the poor. Another
furtivey cings to his pocket totem In the form d
2 battered coin, desiccated potato OF hand-pol.
lS0oQ nOt6e-cnescnut, TO ward on tho demon Of
rheumatism or sctaticA. In truth, who Of rs 4